Brandon Dubinsky on trade from New York: they wanted 'a new toy, I guess'

In advance of Thursday's game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the New York Rangers, Brandon Dubinsky spoke about his time in the Big Apple, admitting his relationship with John Tortorella "fell apart" and questioning why the 2011-12 team was shaken up.

"I think my relationship with Torts fell apart the last year that I was there (in New York)," Dubinsky told the New York Daily News. "I just felt like his relationship with some of the other players could be doing the same thing. So I guess that pretty much sums it up." Dubinsky added "I wasn't completely surprised that it happened" in relation to the deal that saw him Artem Anisimov, Tim Erixon and a first-round pick sent to Columbus for Rick Nash.

Dubinsky - drafted by the Rangers in 2004 - also said he had a hard time accepting the deal after the team had just made an appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The hardest part for me was that we went from growing up together and taking a team that hadn't made the playoffs in forever to a team that was in the conference finals. And I guess when you look at it — not only my trade and sending Artie and Timmy here, but I guess all of the moves as a whole — I didn't understand it quite that you would want to bring so many new guys in after you've had such a successful season and such a successful playoff run.

Sometimes that's just the way New York is. They like the flash and the dash and they want a new toy, I guess. And that's no disrespect to the organization or anybody, of course, because they were so great to me. But that was the hardest part.

Dubinsky has registered three goals, six assists and 108 faceoff wins in 14 games this season. Heading into Thursday's game, Columbus sits four points back of the Rangers in the Metropolitan Division.